NFL Schedules
Understanding the NFL Schedule
The NFL schedule is a complex system that ensures that all football teams play each other at least once every four years while taking into account various factors such as bye weeks and travel.
To understand the NFL schedule correctly, it’s essential to know that each team plays six games within its division, four games against another division in its conference, four games against another division in the opposite conference, and two games against teams from the same conference that finished in the same position in the previous season.
This means that there are 256 regular-season games played over 17 weeks, culminating in the Super Bowl.
Flexible scheduling is another key factor to understand when it comes to the NFL schedule. This system allows for the best late-season matchups to be showcased to the largest audiences. The games that are scheduled in football weeks 11-18 can be flexed to ensure that the most exciting games are aired in primetime slots. In addition, each team is given one bye week during the season, which allows for rest and recovery.
The NFL regular season starts in September and runs until the mid-January playoffs, culminating in the Super Bowl in February. Compared to other major professional leagues, the NFL season is short and features fewer games. For this reason, and the overall popularity of the league, each game brings significant handle to the sportsbook.
2023 Football Events
Starting in the 2021 season, the league expanded the schedule to 17 regular-season games, one more than the 16 games used from 1978-2020. The regular season is expected to start in September, the playoffs in January, and the Super Bowl in February. All of these dates are tentative.
A few highlights this season include the NFL International Series, consisting of three games played in London, one in Germany, and one in Mexico.
The XFL is a global professional football league that aims to advance football and expand player opportunities while bringing entertainment to world-class football.
The league is known for its fan-first, fast-paced gameplay and innovative rules, such as using the 30-yard line for kickoffs instead of the NFL’s 35-yard line to encourage more kickoff returns.
The Canadian Football League (CFL) is a professional gridiron football league that was formed in 1956 as the Canadian Football Council. It was created by the Western Interprovincial Football Union (WIFU) and the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union (IRFU), and member clubs played a gridiron style of football, although the IRFU still referred to their sport as rugby football.
The CFL is the highest level of play in Canadian football and currently consists of nine teams. The league’s season typically runs from mid-June to late November and culminates in the Grey Cup championship game.
The United States Football League (USFL) was a professional American football league that played three seasons from 1983 to 1985, featuring 12 teams in major markets in its first season, and expanding to 18 teams in its second season.
The USFL made headlines when it signed college superstars such as Herschel Walker and Jim Kelly, and it even won an antitrust lawsuit against the NFL. However, the USFL eventually folded before the start of the 1986 season.
In 2022, the USFL is set to make a comeback with eight teams, though the league’s ability to compete with the NFL and other developmental leagues in the spring window remains a challenge.
Tips Before Betting on the NFL
We can give you an endless list of tips for NFL betting, but keep these three in mind above all else:
BET THE ODDS NOT THE TEAM
Look at the odds and the numbers before the teams. For starters, this includes checking out the moneyline, the point spreads and the totals.
CHECK THE WEATHER
Most NFL teams play outdoors and many late-season NFL games will be affected by weather conditions.
DON'T GET SWAYED BY LOCAL TEAMS
This is called “homerism.” As much as possible, avoid wagering on teams for which you have personal feelings.
